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HOW IT ALL STARTED

Over two years ago we began our journey to help medicine develop a more sustainable base. Our biggest challenge was to find scientific evidence and use that to calculate models on which to build a standard that we could develop into a comparable, fair, and transparent evaluation and certification model. Is our solution perfect? Or is it at least flawless? Sorry it is not. It’s imperfect, contains estimations and has faults. But it’s the best algorithm possible with the available evidence. It is designed to learn and to be improved as we gather more information.

The research that will benefit the broadest audience is published on our library page. Next, we began our search for methods and products that could make medicine more sustainable. This required that we discover which actions within the medical field pose the biggest threats to nature, and if our ecological footprint can be improved without tampering with quality and hygiene management. Covid 19, for example, has made medicine’s ecological impact far worse than ever before. The abundant use of protective garments, disinfecting agents and other measures has reached record heights. Covid 19 showed us that we can no longer wait to begin action towards making medicine green.

HOW DOES OUR SYSTEM WORK

One of the biggest problems in the green evolution is that more than 70% of the population say they would prefer eco-friendly products and services yet the market data shows that the consumer behavior varies from this to a large extent. This has to do with two main factors: first consumers are not ready to change their basic behaviors and risk switching to a different product simply because it is more eco-friendly. Second, there is no standard regarding what eco-friendly actually is and many products have falsely claimed to be green. Marketing has repeatedly abused eco-friendliness when it could not deliver. These two main factors need to be addressed. Our mission is to change medicine towards a green lifestyle without changing too many habits of the participants involved. Furthermore we aim to standardize the methods of green medical practice and make them widely available and easily accessible. We are a membership-based society and believe these issues can be addressed most effectively through this organization form. Clinics and medical companies may apply to become members and as such they will acquire the basic ranking solely by joining us.

Every basic ranking member must complete some basic requirements. From there begins the screening of activities: clinics and companies report their daily actions and receive a rating based on these reviews. We offer suggestions on ways to improve daily procedures in an eco-friendly way without infringing on quality, hygiene and outcomes. Procedures that cannot become eco-friendly should be compensated so that the damage to the ecosystem can be healed through various projects. The more a clinic or business compensates the higher they are ranked leading to the highest rank of 100% compensated ecological damage. Furthermore, special eco-friendly activities such as programs to inspire the clients of the clinics and businesses to go green are rewarded in achievements. The combination of changing process patterns to a more eco-friendly procedure and the compensation of the resulting damage seems to be the most effective way to tackle the unique ecological situation that modern medicine is facing.

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DO WE HAVE A PERFECT FORMULA FOR ECO-FRIENDLY/GREEN MEDICINE?

Unfortunately the answer is no. It is incredibly difficult to scientifically calculate the true ecological impact that medicine has. Medicine is unlike other businesses in that every living creature is unique and there is a myriad of medical conditions and treatment forms. It is impossible to get all of these factors into a standardized scheme. Furthermore there are high standards and legal requirements in medicine that differ between various countries. Medical treatments must be clean, science-based, and maintain patient safety. As such there are limitations on the eco-friendliness that can be maintained by each medical procedure. How would you like to be treated with a reusable syringe? Around 50 years ago that was the standard!

Fortunately glass syringes and reusable cannulae were abandoned because of hygiene issues. Taking these parameters into account, medicine cannot always be clean, safe, and perfectly eco-friendly at the same time. Therefore our task is to identify those areas that can be more eco-friendly, identify products and procedures that can be truly green, and to sort out those hygiene and treatment procedures that cannot be improved at this time. This approach will provide a giant leap forward in the eco-friendly practice of medicine.

Despite lacking a perfect formula we endeavor to come as close as possible and consistently work towards improving our algorithms. If you are aware of any products or procedures that might support our cause please let us know so that we can apply these new findings quickly.

 

Dr. Dr. Snjezana Pohl

For me, this project is about more than just sustainability – it’s about leaving a positive impact on the world we live in.
I believe we all have a responsibility to take care of our planet, and as a dental professional,
I am thrilled to make a difference in my own small way. I am proud to be part of a community
that shares my passion for the planet, and I am committed to doing my part to create positive change.

Dr. Christian Coachman

Madrid, Spain

“I’m joining this project and cause full of pride and hope. It’s all about thinking beyond ourselves and doing what we can to make our planet a better place for our future generations. It was about time that dental professionals would unite around a project like this to move into effective actions”.

 

Dr. Galip Gurel

Istanbul, Turkey

“The goal to protect the nature must be the priority of all individuals since the best legacy we can provide to the future generations is a green planet with a healthy environment. Considering the huge negative impact of the waste products of the health care sector to the climate crisis I fully support Greenviu project whose mission is to create more awareness and find solutions in order to reduce this impact”.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Karl Andreas Schlegel

München, Germany

“Nachhaltigkeit in der Medizin ist etwas, was unsere Patienten bezüglich der Therapie jeden Tag zu Recht von uns einfordern. In der Medizin und Zahnmedizin sollten wir deshalb jetzt mit einem Umdenken und Nachjustieren beginnen”.

Dr. Lina Dusevičiūtė

Vilnius, Lithuania

“Making healthcare sustainable should be one of our priorities as the new generation practitioners. Paradoxically environmental awareness in our clinics will help to save more lives than our daily work”.

Dr. Petra Volz

Garmisch und Partenkirchen, Germany

“Wir haben uns von Beginn an entschieden, möglichst mit regionalen Partnern & kurzen Lieferketten zu arbeiten. Als Mitglied bei Greenviu werden wir sukzessive auch den gesamten Praxisbetrieb sowie die eingesetzten Materialien auf ökologische Nachhaltigkeit ausrichten”.

Dr. Gustavo Giordani

São Paulo, Brazil

“I really believe in the Greenviu project, not only because it was born in the hands of super competent, honest and responsible people, but for the cause. It is extremely important to think about the impacts that our office/clinic has on the environment. Changing a few things, turning your office into something ‘green’ can do a lot of good around us and help the child of a better world”.

Dr. Katherine Losada

Zurich, Switzerland

“My philosophy of practicing conservative and minimally invasive dentistry is not limited only to the treatment of the patient itself but to protect and minimize the impact on the environment”.

Dr. Alan Brodine

Rochester, USA

“It made abundant sense for us to join Greenviu since this society has done all the work necessary to determine and track not only the environmental impact of our practice, but also the progress of our practice towards sustainability. After all, the care of our planet is everyone’s responsibility”.

Dr. Inês Barbosa

Lisbon, Portugal

“Prevention is the key in dentistry and the environment. If we neglect prevention, there are consequences, and we see it every single day. We cannot close our eyes. It’s urgent to take action for us and the generations to come. Healthcare needs to be sustainable, and we all can make a difference. A better and healthier world starts with us”.

Dr. Steffen Wolf M.Sc.

Halberstadt, Germany

“My two children shall grow up in an lievable environment. That’s why I will implement sustainability in my clinic regarding economic and of course hygienic principles”.

Dr. Jessica Meier

Herrieden, Germany

“Wir gehen momentan mit der Welt um, als hätten wir noch eine zweite in der Schublade. Für meine Tochter möchte ich nachhaltig arbeiten, das entscheidet, wie die Welt morgen aussieht”.

Dr. Dr. Markus Tröltzsch

Ansbach, Germany

“The combination of changing process patterns to a more eco-friendly procedure and the compensation of the resulting damage seems to be the most effective way to tackle the unique ecological situation that modern medicine is facing”.

Dr. Eiji Furuichi

Tokyo, Japan

“Greenviu is a great cause that my team and I would like to actively support. We need to understand that we are destroying the environment on this planet and driving many creatures to extinction. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful project”.

Dr. Igor Ristic

Belgrade, Serbia

“Being environmentally conscious and influencing community to change its behaviour is equally important as clinical excellence. Let’s make the Earth safe for next generations and act according – Primo non nocere“.

Dr. Thierry Nathan

Paris, France

“We have to redefine ourselves and all our way of working, as doctors, as humans , as we can make a huge difference. Let’s make our offices a better place and make that become a big change”.

Dr. Hrvoje Starčević

Zagreb, Croatia

“Recycling our waste is right way to return to nature what She gave us from beginning. Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today”.

Dr. Tom Giblin

Sydney, Australia

“In a world where we are looking to eliminate waste in all aspects in our lives to minimise our impact on the environment, healthcare has yet to catch up. We need to work towards smarter solutions to reducing waste while maintaining excellent patient care and infection control”.

Dr. Felipe Rossi

São Paulo, Brazil

“Sustainability in our profession, as well as on the planet, is a path of no return, if we want to live in a better and healthy world”.

Dr. Mark Sebastian

München, Germany

“Zahnmedizin auf einem hohen Standard heißt vieles berücksichtigen, besonders auch unsere Umwelt. Für uns bei MAX 36 sind sie und Nachhaltigkeit von großer Bedeutung”.

Dr. Victor Clavijo

São Paulo, Brazil

“The global health depends more on prevention than just doctors, so supporting Greenviu is taking care of the future of the planet for the next generations”.

Dr. Thiago Ottoboni

Blumenau, Brazil

“The idea of sustainability it’s amazing when we stop to think only about ourselves and start to think about our children and the world. To take care of others is the most successful thing we can do in our lives”.

Prof. Dr. Marleen Peumans

Leuven, Belgium

“The Earth’s resources are used up faster than they are being replenished. Everyone can do their bit to ensure we have a healthy environment for now and the future. As we know that health care cause global environment impacts up to 5%, where are we waiting for in the medical world. All of us have a practical and ethical responsibility to reduce the ecological footprint of health care. Let’s do this all together!”

Dr. Nuno Sousa Dias

V. N. Famalicão, Portugal
“Our Planet is at risk! It’s our responsibility to take actions to save it. I believe that small steps now can have a huge impact later in our environment. As a healthcare provider, I feel responsible to implement the necessary measures to transform our profession in a more eco-friendly and green Dentistry, contributing to a better future.”

Dr. Anna Salat

Genova, Italy

“A 3 grams composite syringe leaves a 300 grams carbon footprint on our planet, most of it because of unnecessary packaging, that have to comply certain regulations. At the same time, some composites we have for extra oral exercise since 1994 are still in perfect conditions, but it would be literally a crime to use them in real patients. And this will change in the near future, Greenviu is molding the way we think and act, making us do a more responsible and smart dentistry”.

Dr. Jordi Manauta

Sestri Levante, Italy

“As an inventor, designer and user of dental tools, developing new devices, new materials and new gadgets, that require less disposable components, less toxic materials and more recyclable elements has been always a top priority to me. Since the beginning of my career, aiming for top quality materials that have to be replaced only once in a life time, or probably never, is our main goal. Staying state-of-the-art with state of the heart”.

Dr. Walter Devoto & Dr. Angelo Putignano

Ancona, Italy

“We want to live in a better world, but if we don’t do something individually, time goes by, and it will worsen. We want to start here and show that change is possible with small contributions”.

Dr. Ziv Simon

Los Angeles, USA

“In practicing dentistry for more than 20 years, it’s clear that we affect the environment by using large amounts of various non-degradable materials. Anything we can do to go green should be promoted among our peers”.

Dr. Markus Striegel

Nürnberg, Germany

“Als begeisterter Outdoor Sportler Triathlet Surfer Skitourengeher und Mountainbiker habe ich natürlich schon einige Rennen verloren- nur dieses eine Rennen gegen den Klimawandel dürfen wir alle nicht verlieren, es gibt für uns und unsere Kinder keine Option und keine zweite Chance!”

Sabine Mayer

Koblenz, Germany

“Jede Praxis, jedes Labor, jeder Einzelne, muss jetzt anfangen, die ökologische Verantwortung zu übernehmen und achtsamer mit den Ressourcen umzugehen. Greenviu gibt mir hierzu wichtige Leitlinien und konkrete Tipps an die Hand”.

Dr. Yoshihiro Kida

Saitama, Japan

“Our health is supported by the blessings we receive from nature. If the global environment is not maintained, our society cannot be sustained. I believe that this project is one of the ways to protect the future of the global environment”.

Dr. Michaël Smulders

Den Haag, Netherlands

“De wereld verandert snel. Helaas niet altijd ten goede. Als mens, als zorgprofessional hebben we een morele plicht om naar eer en geweten te werken aan een schonere en groenere samenleving. Het streven naar een duurzame vorm van zorg is daarom een geweldige uitdaging. Greenviu helpt ons daarbij. Doe je mee?”

Miladinov Milos

Timisoara, Romania

“What we do and act is the heritage we leave to our kids, so start being the change you want to see in the world”.

Dr. Sam Thandar

Johannesburg, South Africa

“Our legacy should be more than the practices we build, the patients we treat, and the innovations in our field. We now more than ever need to be aware and conscious of the legacy of our environment and the planet. What we build now impacts our future generations. With greenviu I believe that together we can implement small changes that will have a long-lasting positive impact on our industry, our environment and our wellbeing”.

Dr. Miguel Stanley

Lisbon, Portugal

“What greenviu does, is bring to the light of day the choices that clinics make that impact the environment. This was a much-needed spotlight on a very hidden topic in healthcare. I support this wholeheartedly. Doctors that make intelligent decisions that are better for the patients and for the environment should be rewarded. These decisions cost time and money, but ultimately it’s better for humanity and the planet”.